YOU MUST BE PERFECT TO ENTER HEAVEN

We rarely use the term "righteousness" in our every day lives, and perhaps that is due to the fact that we know of no one who can genuinely lay claim to being righteous.  And yet, the Bible teaches that unless a person is considered righteous in the eyes of God, he or she cannot spend eternity in heaven with God.  "Righteousness" comes from the Hebrew root יָשַׁר (yashar), and the Greek root δικαιόω (dikaioō), which means "to be perfect, or to be holy like God."

We are told from God's Word that mankind's ability to be righteous falls far short of being like that of God.  Isaiah 64:6 says, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags...."  And in Romans 3:10, we read:  "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one."  Religious people, such as the Pharisees, believe themselves to be righteous because they adhere to the "do's and don'ts" of a religion.  However, Jesus had this to say about their so called righteousness:  "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Mt. 5:20).

Since there are none who can claim to be righteous, what does one have to do in order to get to go to heaven?  I know the vast majority of human beings consider what I am about to say as being ridiculous, or even insane, but the answer is "Nothing!"  Nothing we can do qualifies us to spend eternity with God! 

So is all hope lost for humanity?  No!  There is a way, but the pride of man hinders him from accepting the fact that he cannot "qualify" on his own.  And, to him, having been convinced by life that there is "no free lunch," he finds it impossible to believe.  Still, it is the truth, and unless he humbles himself, and accepts it, he cannot be saved.

The truth is, Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, provided the righteousness required for us to go to heaven has been provided as a gift from God (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 15:3-4)!  Paul wrote:  "For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21)!  God gave His Son as His gift to us (Jn. 3:15-17; Eph. 2:8-9).  He has made it possible to become righteous, to become holy, to become perfect, simply by having faith in His Son!  All we have to do is believe God's Word!

 

Abraham believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; and James 2:23.